{
  "id": "403b",
  "version": "ab8c68cb9452",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "403b Calculator",
  "question": "How much will my 403(b) be worth?",
  "summary": "Projects a 403(b) balance at retirement from your salary, your contribution rate and your employer match, within the 2026 IRS limits, with the age 50, age 60 to 63 and 15-year catch-ups.",
  "category": "finance",
  "subcategory": "retirement",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/403b-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/403b-calculator.md",
  "kind": "schedule",
  "method": "Each year, you put in min(your % × salary, $24,500 + 15-year catch-up + age catch-up) and the employer adds match % × min(your contribution, match cap % × salary), within the section 415(c) limit; both are spread over 12 months, and the balance grows each month at (1 + R)^(1/12) − 1.",
  "assumptions": [
    "The IRS limits stay at their 2026 amounts for every future year. The IRS usually raises them with inflation.",
    "Contributions are spread evenly over the 12 months and added at the end of each month.",
    "The yearly return stays the same every year. Real returns go up and down, and can be negative.",
    "Your salary rises by the yearly raise at the start of each new year.",
    "Fees and taxes are not included. Withdrawals from a traditional 403(b) are taxed as income.",
    "This is an estimate for planning, not financial advice."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "age": {
        "title": "Your age",
        "description": "Your age at the end of this year. The age in later years is this plus the years that pass.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 18,
        "maximum": 79
      },
      "retire": {
        "title": "Retirement age",
        "description": "The age you stop contributing. Contributions run for (retirement age − your age) years.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 19,
        "maximum": 80
      },
      "balance": {
        "title": "403(b) balance today",
        "description": "What is in your 403(b) now.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "salary": {
        "title": "Yearly salary",
        "description": "Your pay this year, before tax.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 100000000
      },
      "pct": {
        "title": "You contribute",
        "description": "The percent of your salary you put in, before the IRS limit.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 100
      },
      "match": {
        "title": "Employer match",
        "description": "The percent of your contribution your employer adds, for example 50% or 100%.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 200
      },
      "cap": {
        "title": "Match stops at",
        "description": "The employer matches your contributions only up to this percent of your salary.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 100
      },
      "rate": {
        "title": "Expected yearly return",
        "description": "The yearly return, as the percent the balance grows in a year. It stays the same every year.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 30
      },
      "raise": {
        "title": "Yearly raise",
        "description": "The percent your salary goes up at the start of each new year.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 20
      },
      "inflation": {
        "title": "Prices rise each year by",
        "description": "The yearly inflation rate used to show the balance at retirement in today’s money.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 20
      },
      "service": {
        "title": "Years of service with this employer",
        "description": "Full years of service at the end of this year with an employer that qualifies for the 15-year catch-up (a public school system, hospital, home health or health and welfare service agency, or church). Leave empty otherwise.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 60
      },
      "prior": {
        "title": "Your deferrals with this employer before this year",
        "description": "All your elective deferrals to this employer’s plans in earlier years, catch-ups included.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 10000000
      },
      "used": {
        "title": "15-year catch-up already used",
        "description": "The 15-year catch-up amounts you used in earlier years (at most $15,000 in all).",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 15000
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "total": {
      "label": "At retirement you’ll have",
      "description": "The 403(b) balance at the end of the last month before retirement.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "start": {
      "label": "Balance today",
      "description": "The balance you start with.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "yours": {
      "label": "Your contributions",
      "description": "Everything you put in from now until retirement.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "employer": {
      "label": "Employer contributions",
      "description": "Everything your employer puts in from now until retirement.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "growth": {
      "label": "Investment growth",
      "description": "The balance at retirement minus today’s balance and all contributions.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "real": {
      "label": "In today’s money",
      "description": "The balance at retirement divided by (1 + inflation) to the power of the years.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "yearYou": {
      "label": "You put in this year",
      "description": "Your contribution this year, after the IRS limit.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "yearEmployer": {
      "label": "Your employer adds this year",
      "description": "Your employer’s contribution this year, after the IRS limits.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "limit": {
      "label": "Your IRS limit this year",
      "description": "The most you can put in this year: $24,500 plus any 15-year and age catch-ups (2026 limits).",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "special": {
      "label": "15-year catch-up this year",
      "description": "The part of your contribution this year that uses the 15-year catch-up.",
      "format": "money"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "age": 30,
      "retire": 67,
      "balance": 25000,
      "salary": 75000,
      "pct": 10,
      "match": 50,
      "cap": 6,
      "rate": 7,
      "raise": 3,
      "inflation": 3
    },
    "outputs": {
      "total": 2628812.967768777,
      "start": 25000,
      "yours": 496306.669460688,
      "employer": 148892.0008382064,
      "growth": 1958614.297469883,
      "real": 880607.4886308016,
      "yearYou": 7500,
      "yearEmployer": 2250,
      "limit": 24500,
      "special": 0
    },
    "text": "At 7% a year, your 403(b) grows to $2,628,812.97 by age 67, including $148,892.00 from your employer."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "age": 30,
        "retire": 31,
        "balance": 0,
        "salary": 60000,
        "pct": 10,
        "match": 50,
        "cap": 6,
        "rate": 0
      },
      "expect": {
        "total": 7800,
        "yearYou": 6000,
        "yearEmployer": 1800,
        "limit": 24500
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 10% of 60,000; 50% of the first 6% (3,600); IRS, Retirement topics: 403(b) contribution limits (2026: $24,500 elective deferrals, $8,000 age 50 catch-up, $11,250 at 60 to 63, 15-year catch-up, $72,000 annual additions) (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-403b-contribution-limits, retrieved 2026-10-02)"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "age": 55,
        "retire": 56,
        "balance": 0,
        "salary": 300000,
        "pct": 20,
        "match": 100,
        "cap": 6,
        "rate": 0
      },
      "expect": {
        "yearYou": 32500,
        "yearEmployer": 18000,
        "total": 50500,
        "limit": 32500
      },
      "source": "IRS, Retirement topics: 403(b) contribution limits (2026: $24,500 elective deferrals, $8,000 age 50 catch-up, $11,250 at 60 to 63, 15-year catch-up, $72,000 annual additions) (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-403b-contribution-limits, retrieved 2026-10-02): 2026 deferral limit $24,500 plus the $8,000 catch-up at 50 or older; hand calculation"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "age": 45,
        "retire": 46,
        "balance": 0,
        "salary": 100000,
        "pct": 30,
        "match": 0,
        "cap": 0,
        "rate": 0,
        "service": 20,
        "prior": 90000
      },
      "expect": {
        "yearYou": 27500,
        "limit": 27500,
        "special": 3000
      },
      "source": "IRS, Retirement topics: 403(b) contribution limits (2026: $24,500 elective deferrals, $8,000 age 50 catch-up, $11,250 at 60 to 63, 15-year catch-up, $72,000 annual additions) (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-403b-contribution-limits, retrieved 2026-10-02): the 15-year catch-up is the least of $3,000, $15,000 less earlier use, and $5,000 × 20 − 90,000 = 10,000; hand calculation"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "age": 52,
        "retire": 53,
        "balance": 0,
        "salary": 200000,
        "pct": 20,
        "match": 200,
        "cap": 25,
        "rate": 0,
        "service": 15,
        "prior": 50000
      },
      "expect": {
        "yearYou": 35500,
        "yearEmployer": 44500,
        "total": 80000,
        "special": 3000,
        "limit": 35500
      },
      "source": "IRS, Retirement topics: 403(b) contribution limits (2026: $24,500 elective deferrals, $8,000 age 50 catch-up, $11,250 at 60 to 63, 15-year catch-up, $72,000 annual additions) (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-403b-contribution-limits, retrieved 2026-10-02): Pat’s deferrals with the $3,000 15-year catch-up plus the employer’s reach the annual additions limit, and the age 50 catch-up comes on top; hand calculation"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "age": 45,
        "retire": 50,
        "balance": 0,
        "salary": 100000,
        "raise": 0,
        "pct": 30,
        "match": 0,
        "cap": 0,
        "rate": 0,
        "service": 15,
        "prior": 70000,
        "used": 12000
      },
      "expect": {
        "yours": 125500,
        "special": 3000
      },
      "source": "IRS, Retirement topics: 403(b) contribution limits (2026: $24,500 elective deferrals, $8,000 age 50 catch-up, $11,250 at 60 to 63, 15-year catch-up, $72,000 annual additions) (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-403b-contribution-limits, retrieved 2026-10-02): $15,000 lifetime limit; hand calculation in content.mdx: 27,500 + 4 × 24,500"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "age": 30,
        "retire": 40,
        "balance": 10000,
        "salary": 50000,
        "raise": 0,
        "pct": 6,
        "match": 100,
        "cap": 6,
        "rate": 7
      },
      "expect": {
        "total": 105197.37920096336,
        "yours": 30000,
        "employer": 30000
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: 10,000 × 1.07^10 plus 500 a month for 120 months; IRS, Retirement topics: 403(b) contribution limits (2026: $24,500 elective deferrals, $8,000 age 50 catch-up, $11,250 at 60 to 63, 15-year catch-up, $72,000 annual additions) (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-403b-contribution-limits, retrieved 2026-10-02)"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Internal Revenue Service, Retirement topics: 403(b) contribution limits (2026 elective deferral limit $24,500; age 50 catch-up $8,000; ages 60 to 63 $11,250; 15-year catch-up; annual additions $72,000; the example of Pat), retrieved 2026-10-02. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-403b-contribution-limits",
    "Internal Revenue Service, COLA increases for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions (2026 limits), retrieved 2026-10-02. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/cola-increases-for-dollar-limitations-on-benefits-and-contributions"
  ],
  "related": [
    "401k",
    "roth-ira",
    "ira",
    "retirement"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}